Arrangement Only
by Robin Roronoa
Summary: She knew she didn't have choice in the matter. She had seen what happened when you defied the powers above you, you died; she couldn't afford that. No, not until she had unlocked the hidden secrets of the past that her home had been destroyed for. She didn't have a choice, but she wouldn't make it easy on the green-haired prince, he didn't deserve it anyway. Arranged Marriage Au
1. Arrangement

" _You're selling us.", said the redhead angrily. "You can't do that, we didn't agree to this."_

" _No, I'm giving you both a chance at a future that doesn't involve living on the streets and fighting just to get your next meal.", sighed Nojiko. "Nami, be realistic. We can't survive like this forever. Living in a rundown shack with a handful of orphaned, teenage girls, and trying to get enough money to just survive. This is what's best."_

" _You're my sister and you're just handing me over to the same kingdom that let Bellamere get killed and that destroyed Robin's home and you expect us to just go along with it! I'd rather die!", yelled the younger woman._

" _Nami, plea-", tried the purple-haired woman again, placing her hand on her little sister's shoulder._

" _No. We'll run away, we can survive without you if we have to. We, we...", said Nami angrily as tears leaked from her chocolate brown eyes, pulling away from the woman's touch. "Robin, say something.", begged the girl, turning her eyes to her best friend, hoping she could pull out one of the brilliant plans that had managed to keep them alive for years._

" _When do we leave?", asked the raven-haired woman stoically._

" _Robin.", said the redhead brokenly, the tears distorting her voice._

" _Nami, Nojiko is right, this is the best way for us to survive.", she said quietly. "It will aid in helping the other girls to live nicely with the money that Their Majesties have offered for our hands in marriage to their heirs.", she added._

" _But, Robin.", said Nami again, the hurt from the older girl's betrayal clear in her shaking voice._

" _You should pack, Nami.", she said, turning and walking through the rundown house towards the bedroom she had shared with the redhead for years. "I'm sure the princes will want to meet us soon."_

 _We'll die if we don't take this chance; that's unacceptable. I, I have to survive so that I can find out what my mother and all the other scholars were killed for trying to find. Yes, this is just another step to reaching that goal, and it'll will keep Nami safe., she thought as she continued walking. "We don't have any other option."_

"So what's your name, you never told me?"

"They didn't tell you?", asked Robin venomously, giving the green-haired man a glare from her seat on the bench.

"They did, but names are important, so I'd rather hear you introduce yourself.", smirked the prince. "I'm Zoro, Roronoa Zoro.", he added confidently, offering his hand for her to shake.

She stared at the proffered hand for several beats before reluctantly shaking it. "Nico Robin.", she said in the same clipped tone she had been using since she had been brought there this morning. She had to admit that the man before her was a surprise if nothing else. Barely even in his twenties and not the least bit perturbed that she was nine years older than him as well as seemingly uninteresting in anything to do with inheriting a kingdom and politics, or really anything aside from swordsmanship she guessed judging by the threes shining katana hanging from his waist. He wasn't a pompous fool because of his status like most royals, more like, prideful in the skills he knew he possessed and confident in himself alone as opposed to his title. He also didn't seem the least but upset about her coldness, in fact he seemed unnaturally happy about it ever since he had first offered to take her to a quiet place for them to talk.

"Hehe."

"Would you mind telling me what's so amusing, Your Highness?", asked the raven-haired woman.

"You don't have to call me that.", said Zoro sternly as he tried to hide his blush by giving her a pointed look. "I mean, we're gonna be married so you should get used to calling me Zoro."

"Yes, Your Highness.", she answered sweetly, smirking as the young man's face reddened slightly at the title once again.

"You really are something you know that."

"I must be, since the opposite would be nothing and I clearly exist."

"Haha. Now that's definitely an improvement."

"Pardon?", she asked, confused by the prince's sentiment as he crouched down in front of her.

"I told those idiots that if they kept bringing these frightened maidens that were barely out of their childhood in front of me that I would make certain that no woman would ever want to marry me. They made me make a list of qualities I would want in my hypothetical future wife which just so happened to be as close to impossible as it gets, or so I thought.", said the green-haired man.

"And why's that so amusing?"

"Because they found you.", said Zoro simply, staring up at her. "I did my darnedest to make sure that they would never find me a woman to marry and yet, here you are; it's funny.", he said with slight chuckle.

"What specifications did I meet exactly?", she asked, curious despite herself

"You're older than me for one as opposed to barely in your teens, you're not a stuck-up noble's daughter, and despite what your life on the streets would have me believe, I can tell you're smarter and have way more knowledge than anyone in this freaking place.", said the man. "And despite me being a prince, it hasn't shaken you. In fact, you seem to not even want to be here even though you were given a choice on whether to except my offer or not."

" _You must live, Robin!"_ "You never have a choice.", whispered the blue-eyed woman, rising from her seat and brushing past the young man. She walked across the rich grass of the secluded garden the swordsman had brought her to, trying to repress the memories of burning islands and a tear-stained face that looked remarkably similar to her own. She jerked her arm away when she felt the sudden grip from behind her. "Don't touch me.", she spat, stepping away from the green-haired teen who stared on stone-faced despite her outburst. "You know what would have happened if I hadn't agreed to this sham of a marriage, I would have died. That's what happened when you defy power, you have everything taken away from you by people who don't even understand why they're killing.", she said bitterly.

"What happened?", asked Zoro calmly.

" _Ya know yer pretty cute when you laugh, you should do more often." "Happy Birthday, Robin!" "I'm so proud of you."_ "I had everything taken away from me twenty years ago by this kingdom's military force, your kingdom's military force.", she answered. "Anything that could threatened their rule is eradicated without a second thought to the lives they destroy and the damage they leave in their wake."

"You blame me for something that I wasn't even alive to witness, let alone prevent.", stated Zoro. "That seems a little unfair, don't you think?".

Robin turned away, she knew that he was right on some level, it wasn't fair of her to blame him for the sins of his predecessors. She didn't even know this man, boy practically, and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of the muscular, moss- headed prince in front of her in the first place."Ha, that's rich coming from you.", laughed Robin, smirking a the young man. "Please tell me all about how you know what's unjust and what's not. How unfair your life is when you have the power to do whatever you wish."

"I'm no-", he started, taken aback by his 'fiancee's' sudden anger. He understood that this wasn't the ideal situation, that she didn't want to be here with him, but he would change that. He would do everything he could to make sure she was happy, even if it took some time and more than a little effort. He wanted the chance to find out who the stranger was that had met all of his wildest demands for a partner.

"Tell me about how everyone you ever loved was taken away from you and your home burned, leaving you all alone.", she yelled, the words pouring out despite herself. "Tell me about how you were forced to live on the streets, not knowing if you'd survive to the next day." She had only spoken of her home of Ohara on a couple occasions back when she had joined up with Nami and her older sister when she was twenty-four. The redhead had confided in her late one night about how her foster mother had been gunned down by a group of criminals that wanted to make a base of her home village as she and Nojiko watched from the sidelines and then subsequently asked how Robin had ended up on the streets as well, but that was it.

The tragedy never left her mind, it was always there, haunting her no matter how much she wanted to be rid of it, and then eating at her for daring to want peace by forgetting the mother and friends that had died while she escaped. She had survived, and now she had to keep them in her mind so that she wouldn't forget her purpose; to find out what the scholars had been on the verge of completing, the Poneglyphs. That's why she had to accept the proposal, she couldn't die without completing the work that her mother, the Professor, and every other archaeologist has died for daring to search for. She was all that remained, she had to find the answers. "You don't understand anything.", she whispered.

"Then freaking explain it.", he said harshly. "You're right, I don't know anything about what happened in the past or anything about you, Robin. I'm listening, so tell me, I'd love to hear it."

"Like you'd care."

"You know for someone so fixated on the past you sure assume you know a lot about mine.", he bit out. "You know I didn't become a 'prince' until I tried to kill Mihawk and he decided to adopt me as his son and train me despite me still wanting to overthrow him and become the best swordsman. And up until he decided to take Shanks' offer of an alliance, I had nothing to do with this kingdom or anything it had done or allowed to happen, or whatever in the past; I still don't."

"So you want nothing to do with succeeding you father and becoming king?", asked the archaeologist.

"They could let that pink-haired brat be ruler for all I care."

"Why agree to cooperate with this arrangement then if you don't want to rule?"

"Same as you, it gets me closer to my goal of beating that jerk if I cooperate.", answered the swordsman, stepping closer to her. "And it's a nice thought isn't it, finding someone to have beside you when you reach that goal? All I've had was Luffy to really depend on."

"One of the Four Great Kings', Shanks', heir, correct?"

"Yeah.", agreed Zoro with a gentle smile as he thought of the rambunctious teen. "We met two years ago when Mihawk agreed to combine his territory and forces with Shanks' and he decided that we would be oath brothers back then. We've been together ever since. I never knew who my real parents were or if I had any siblings or a home and then Koshiro took me in as a kid and let me train at the dojo he ran, but I couldn't stay there after...the accident. When I finally hunted down the supposed greatest swordsman in the world, Mihawk, who happened to be the king of a pretty small territory compared to Shanks' like the other Seven Lesser Rulers. He sliced my chest open when I attacked him and almost killed me.", said Zoro, his hand absently moving to his chest, feeling the jagged mark beneath his shirt. "He said he'd let me live though because of the potential he saw and when I asked for him to teach me, he didn't turn me away even when I admitted to still wanting to defeat him and claim his title."

"Why are you telling me this?", asked Robin, not understanding how the green-haired swordsman was still wanting to talk with her after she shamelessly accused him of being the cause of her life's tragedy.

"I still fully intend on you being my wife, so I have nothing to hide from you, Robin. It's fine if you're not ready to tell me everything about what happened to you, but I will make you trust me no matter what and I promise right now that I won't keep anything from you. No secrets."

"Why do you even care if I trust you, I already agreed to marry you."

"That's not really my style.", answered the young prince, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he spoke. "I guess a part of me wants to get to know you, too."

"This is just a stepping stone to my goal, Zoro. I'm not changing my mind about what this marriage is or this kingdom.", stated Robin firmly.

"Fine, marry me and after I've defeated Mihawk and it's been a few years so you can avoid suspicion, kill me in my sleep and change this world if you still think it's so terrible.", said the swordsman, turning and heading back towards the castle entrance.

"You're offering to let me kill you?", asked the historian, incredulously.

"Yeah, if that's what you want."

"Why would yo-"

"Because that gives me a few years to convince you that I'm worth keeping around, which I'm planning on.", said the swordsman, smirking over his shoulder at her. "And worst case scenario I reach my dream and get to have a couple happy years with you, that doesn't sound like a terrible way to go if you ask me.", he added before turning back around. "You're room's the one adjoining mine; just ask someone if you can't find it."

Robin watched as the one-eyed man walked back towards the dark castle she now called home curiously. She had accused him of crimes he didn't commit, rejected his attempts to get closer to her, and then not even objected when he suggested she kill him. She still had no idea what to make of the man she thought as she took a seat on the bench once again. _I wonder if Nami's faring any better with Luffy._

 **A/N:** Okay, so this is the first chapter to **BloodyME's** requested arranged marriage fic. This is obviously an AU since there has to be someone or some power that can arrange a marriage which I couldn't see happening with Zoro and Robin in the cannon O.P. world, although I tried to keep as many details as possible from their pasts and what not the same. Sorry this took so long to get up, I wrestled with exactly how I wanted to handle this fic and just now got the plot ironed out, so I hope you enjoyed this start.


	2. Friends? Thoughts of the Past and Future

"Hi, you're Nami, right? I'm Luffy, nice to meet ya.", said the black-haired teen happily, stretching his rubber hand to grasp her own.

"Uh, hi.", replied the redhead, taking a step back from the energetic prince. _So he has powers just like Robin does, weird._

"Shishishi, you're funny.", laughed the straw-hatted man. "You wanna play with me?"

"What?"

"Do you wanna play with me?", yelled Luffy.

"Why are you yelling?", screamed the woman, jumping at his loud voice in the otherwise quiet area.

"I thought you couldn't hear me the first time so I got louder.", he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 _What kind of idiot is he? Is this guy really the prince who's suppose to run half a kingdom when he's older?_ "No, I was just surprised by what you asked is all.", answered Nami.

"Why, isn't that what friends do?", asked the black-haired teen.

"Friends?", asked the redhead, surprised by the innocent request and even more so by the young man's reasoning.

"Yeah, we're friends, Nami, so we gotta do friend stuff.", he said with a bright smile, grabbing her hand once again. "Come on, let's go get a snack from Sanji and then I'll show you around the palace. There are lots of fun rooms to play in in there.", Luffy continued pulling the reluctant Nami after him despite her protests.

"Hey, hold on just a sec, I didn't agree to this."

"Oh, and Sanji makes the best food, but he's kinda a pervert. Don't worry though, he wouldn't ever try and hurt you or anything since her loves women.", assured Luffy, ignoring the woman's protests.

"Wait, I don't want to meet him then!"

"But he's a friend, so you gotta meet him, Nami. Him, and our doctor, Chopper who's a talking reindeer, and the blacksmith, Franky, he's a pervert too and can breath fire and shoot beams since he's a cyborg, and our strategist, Usopp who's a big coward and lies a lot, and Brook who can play a lot of different instruments and likes to ask girls to see their panties."

"What's wrong with all of your friends?", huffed Nami, now walking beside the younger man after realizing he wasn't letting go of her.

"You don't have to show him if you don't want to.", offered Luffy. "Nobody ever does."

"I wasn't going to, Idiot!", yelled the redhead, before freezing at her mistake and covering her mouth. _Oh crap, I'm dead._ "L-Luffy, I'm so s-sor"

"Shishishi, you sounded just like Zoro, Nami!", laughed the teen, doubling over on the the grass.

"W-what?", asked the woman, confused yet again by the prince's strange behavior.

"Oh, I forgot to mention him. Zoro's my oath brother; you sounded just like him a second ago. Shishishi. He's always getting on to me for things like that."

"Wait, so you're not gonna kill me?"

"Of course not!", said Luffy angrily, springing up to his feet so that his face was only centimeters away from hers. "I would never hurt one of my friends, Nami. Don't ever think that again.", said the teen. 

"I'm sorry, I-I just thought that...", stuttered the woman. _Is he really that angry that I thought he would kill me for insulting him? Isn't that normal practice among royals?_

Nami stiffened as the rubber boy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest as her face pressed into his neck. "Nami, you're my friend.", he whispered quietly, setting something on her head that she couldn't see from her angle. "I promise I'll always protect you from now on, okay, so don't worry.", he added pulling away to give her a smile. Realization hit her as she noticed he was no longer wearing his straw hat and that the sun didn't seem nearly as bright in her eyes. "Shanks gave me that hat and told me to hang onto it until I had become a great king like him so be careful with it."

"Luffy.", she whispered, her hand gingerly touching the hat he had place on her head.

"Come on let's go.", said the teen, grabbing her hand once again and pulling. "I'm starving."

 _This is the guy I'm suppose to marry?_

As Nami continued being led though the stone halls by the hyper prince, Robin was arriving at her bedroom with the help of some direction from a maid.

" _One day I guarantee you'll find true friends, ones that won't ever leave you. Ain't nobody born into this world to be alone."_ Robin turned the handle, walking into what would be her new living space for the next couple weeks until she was wed to Zoro. Taking it in, she noted there were several wardrobes no doubt filled to the brim with clothing for her now that she would be considered a royal, a bed bigger and more comfortable looking than any she had seen in her thirty years of life, and a large bookcase, thankfully. Aside from those and the small table and chairs she assumed were for when she took meals in her chamber and a large cushioned bench the room was fairly empty. _Why of all my memories is that the one that's persisting the most now that I can't stop thinking about that man?,_ thought the archaeologist irritably as she laid down on her bed, pulling the thick covers over her body. _Is that what I think of Zoro as after our conversation? He did offer to give his life for nothing other than my peace of mind and if his reactions are anything to base his personality off of, he's much too simple for his words to have been nothing more than an act to win me over. Even so, even if he was being genuine about his desires, is that truly what I want? This marriage is just an agreement, nothing more. It can't be, can it?,_ she wondered.

She sunk down into the softness of the bed, her azure eyes closing as she continued contemplating the curious green-haired swordsman and the future she would have with him. Robin felt herself sinking into sleep, suppressing her natural reaction to fight off the relieving activity as she so often had to during years of having to wake and run at a moment's notice. She knew the risk of being killed was practically nonexistent for her at the moment, so she could give in and allow her mind a moment's escape from it's swirling thoughts, perhaps she might have a better understanding of her emotions after some rest. _Zoro, what are you to me?_

" _I want to stay with you. Mommy!"_ She reached desperately to get back, to not be taken away from her home, from the mother she had just found. She couldn't tell what was pulling her away, only that it was much stronger than her no matter how hard she tried to fight against it. She felt the hot tears spilling down her face as another explosion echoed around her, taking another piece of the one place she had ever found solace, the Tree of Knowledge, with it. Ashes stung her eyes and choked her as she continued clawing to get back to her home; she had to do something. She watched her mother, the Professor, Saul, all of them fall one after the other while she was helpless to stop it. She could feel her arms tiring as her mind fogged over from the lack of clean air and she fell to the ground. She cried as the darkness slowly took over, her body no longer responding to her desperate commands as she gave up. Laying there, she felt the stinging pain ebb away as she gave into the chill that was permeating her body until a pair of arms, much bigger than her own tiny ones, wrapped around her, warming her body. She could no longer hear the agonizing screams or bombs, only a steady heartbeat pounding in her ear and a voice whispering something too quiet for her to hear.

Robin eyes snapped open, awaking from the familiar nightmare as she tried to sit up in bed. She no longer cried upon awakening from the dream, no longer screamed in her sleep as she relived the tragedy; she no longer tried to fight it. It scared her to think that she was so numb to watching the people she had loved most die right before her eyes; perhaps she truly was the monster the world believed her to be.

"Are you okay?"

She started at the voice beside her, turning her head to see the green-haired man laying beside her, his dark eye focusing solely on her.

"Why are you here?", she asked.

"I thought we could talk some more, but when I came in you were sleeping. I was gonna leave until I heard you talking in your sleep."

She didn't want him to see her like this, to know how vulnerable she truly was on the inside.

"And you decided that the perfect solution to that was to get into bed with me?", she asked scathingly, her carefully constructed mask slipping into place as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat.

"You said, 'Don't leave me.'.", responded Zoro, sitting up so that he was even with her. "And you were shaking.", he added, hoping to get some sort of response from the woman. He watched her face as she tried to come up with some lie to tell him or some smart comment to drive him away; he wouldn't have any of it. "It was a nightmare, right? About what you mentioned to me earlier.", he said, still getting no reply. "You know I'm really trying here, Robin. At least when I tick you off I know I'm getting somewhere with you, but I can't really get better at this if you won't say anything."

"What did you do after...after you saw me like that?", she asked quietly, understanding sinking as as her mind cleared.

"Chopper told me once that you're not suppose to wake people up from nightmares, so I tried to fight whatever you were in your mind. You were shaking so I held you and you said you didn't want to be alone so I told you I wouldn't leave.", answered the prince. "I guess it worked since you woke up pretty fast after that."

 _That explains it. That odd sensation at the end of the dream, it was different than normal. Was that really Zoro's doing or am I just..._ The historian glanced over at the man beside her, wondering how she ended up engaged to such an odd man, and such a determined one at that. Who else would think to try and fight someone else's nightmare aside from him. "I'm fine now, you can leave.", said Robin, calmly. "And thank you.", she added, her cheeks tinging slightly at the thought of the swordsman cradling her like a child and whispering assurances to her as she tried to fend off the demons of her past.

"It's nothing.", he said, rising from his seat on the bed and walking around to her side. "Oh, and sorry for this.", he said before slipping his arms under her own and pulling her towards his chest. "I know you told me not to touch you and now I've done it twice without your permission.", he laughed slightly, his hand moving to cupped the back of her head.

"Zoro.", breathed the raven-haired woman, shocked at the young man's sudden hug.

"Hehe, you finally said called me Zoro.", he noted, pulling back to give her a brilliant smile that seemed to be a mix of a grin and a smirk. "I guess this wasn't a completely stupid move if it got you to call me by my name."

"I...", started Robin, still unsettled from the man's affection.

"I'll have someone bring you dinner in here, okay. If you need anything else just ask someone or have them come get me from the training area.", he said, withdrawing from her and heading for the door.

"Wait.", she called, climbing off the mattress and making her way to the swordsman's side. "That just now, why did you do that?", she asked.

"You weren't awake for it the first time, and I wanted to make sure you knew before I left."

"Knew what?"

"That you're not alone anymore.", he said calmly. "You probably didn't hear me, but I told you I'm not gonna leave you, Robin. I meant that."

She stood there silently, unsure how to respond to the man. _Does he really...we just met and he's already trying to comfort me about something I've refused to share with him._ "Good luck with your training.", she said finally, giving him a smile.

"Yeah.", he agreed, smiling as he exited the room, leaving her to her thoughts once again.

"Thank you, Zoro.", she whispered into the silence of her room now that she was alone.

 **A/N:** Okay, chapter two. This fic got way more attention already than I was expecting, so thank you guys so much for that and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) Also, to clarify this fic will have at least two or three more chapters and will focus mainly on Zorobin's development with very little LuNa.


	3. Development

"Are you always this uptight?"

"Are you always this lazy?", challenged the archaeologist, looking down at the man stretched out beside her on the grass.

"When I'm trying to relax, yeah. You should try it."

"Laying on the ground isn't exactly my idea of relaxing; it seems like a waste of time."

"Yeah, you'd rather have your nose in a book, right? Learning more stuff and getting information.", said the swordsman, rolling over to that he was facing towards her.

"It seems these last couple afternoons you've spent in my room staring at me have paid off."

"Don't make me sound like some pervert, dang woman. You wanted to read your books and I wanted to spend time with you, it was a compromise."

"Of course, Zoro.", agreed Robin, rolling her eyes at the young prince.

"Tch, fine, you wanna do something that will pay off.", said the green-haired man, rising from his spot on the lawn. "Get up.", he said, reaching for his black-sheathed katana as he spoke.

"What exactly are we doing?", she asked curious about what the prince had in mind.

"You agreed to spend time with me, and what better way to spend it than me teaching you some sword skills?", he asked, handing his precious katana over to her.

"Why? I am a devil fruit user thus I already have all the necessary skills needed to protect myself, what else could swordsmanship be useful for?", questioned the dark-haired woman as she shifted the heavy blade between her hands, marveling at it's intricate design and impressive weight. _Do all of his swords weigh this much? And he carries around three of them at all times?_

"Devil fruits can be countered.", said the green-haired man plainly as he adjusted her hands around the hilt.

"As can swords."

"Yes, but only by a stronger opponent, not some stone that cowards would use to get the upper hand over you in a fight."

"So this is all for my benefit? I didn't think you were so soft that you would to go to such lengths as this to make sure I was safe.", teased the archaeologist, holding the katana in front of her as Zoro circled around observing her stance.

"Tighten your core, and stop reading so much into things.", instructed the swordsman. "Lift your arms a little too."

"Pardon, but what exactly am I reading too much into, Zoro? I thought your motives for doing this were fairly obvious.", she asked, lifting her arms higher, albeit with some difficult due to the heavy sword's unfamiliar weight in her hands.

"You never let up, do you?"

"A scholar's mind is always hungry for more knowledge; unanswered questions are our bane."

"Since you're humoring me and putting in an effort I guess I can't let you suffer.", laughed the prince, stepping closer to her. "I just thought it made sense for me to share something that's so important to me with you, you know trying to get closer and everything.", he answered, placing his hand against the flat planes of her stomach. "Tighten your core, it'll put less pressure on you arms.", he said taking in the slight tremors in her pale limbs and the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"I thought we agreed no touching, Zoro.", noted the blue-eyed historian, her voice a bit shaky, glancing down at the man's calloused hand pressed against her bare abdomen. _He still thinks this will all work out. He still wants to convince me; to give us both a happy life.,_ she thought a bit astonished as she shifted her cerulean orbs up to meet his single dark one.

"If you would tighten your core like I said, I wouldn't have to.", shot back the swordsman, withdrawing his hand nonetheless. "That's enough for today, let's head inside before you get heatstroke or something.", he said, gently taking Shuusui from her hands and placing it back at his side with the other two. She smiled as she walked behind the prince, letting him maintain the lead until they reached the palace entrance. "What are you doing?"

"I've been informed of your rather poor sense of direction so I thought I'd lead.", said the woman, not even bothering to look over her shoulder at the young man. She could guess his reaction, red cheeks and an indignant pout as he huffed at her. With her in front they made their way through the stone hallways in record time, quickly finding the door to his chambers and entered. Robin glanced around at the now familiar room. After almost a week of being in the castle and having spent most of that time by the young prince's side she had his bedroom's layout memorized. "You don't have much in way of decoration."

"I don't spend much time here, and when I do I'm sleeping. Decorations seem kind of pointless then, don't you think?", asked the young man as he placed his swords atop the large bed.

"It would make it a bit more homey."

"Depends on what you think of a home as.", he countered, untying his wine-colored sash and letting his forest green robe fall from his shoulders, exposing his chiseled torso. "I don't think things can ever provide you solace regardless of how familiar they are or how comforting they seem. People, that's what makes something feel like home.", he said, kicking off his boots.

"People." _Mother, Saul, Professor, Nami. Can I have a home now? We barely see each other, Nami, and everyone else is forever out of my reach.,_ she thought, her blue eyes watching the swordsman as he pulled his haramaki over his head. _Do I want one? I lived for the sole purpose of discovering the secrets that my home was destroyed for for so lone, can I really replace all that I've lost now?_ Her eyes skirted down the swordsman's scarred torso, taking in the ragged gashes littering the tan skin. _Can I let you in, Zoro? Will you still want to convince me we can be happy together if I tell you everything? You've felt pain and loss like I have, and you've kept fighting for your goal and are trying to make a home for a broken stranger you have no obligation to. You really are a strange man._ Robin's eyes continued watching the young prince as he stretched, the muscles pulled taunt beneath his tan skin as he pulled an arm across his chest. She stared on unseeingly until her mind snapped her out of her trance as Zoro dropped his black trousers as well, exposing himself completely to her.

"Zoro, what are you doing?", asked the archaeologist hurriedly, working to keep her eyes trained on the nude man's face.

"I told you I was going to take a shower, you must have been spacing out.", said the prince calmly.

"Alright, but why did you strip down here of all places?", she asked.

"Tch, it's not like I'm the first guy you've seen naked right?"

"No, b-"

"And as I told you before, I have nothing to hide from you, Robin, which includes my body. No secrets, remember? And, since you're going to be my wife, this...", he said, gesturing to his muscular body with a sweep of his arm. "Is already yours. I've pledged myself to be yours so it would be stupid to be modest or whatever at this point.", he said gruffly, turning away from her and heading towards the bathroom door. "You're welcome to join me as well, I'm sure it would be nice for you to have someone hold you steady since your energy gets sucked out from standing water. And I'd be willing to help wash your back.", he offered before disappearing through the doorway, leaving the raven-haired woman to decipher his offer.

Robin stood there contemplating her options for several moments, before swiftly turning to the side and walking to the entrance that connected her room to the one she was currently occupying. _I actually considered following him, why? Is a life with him really so tempting that I'd allow myself to be that vulnerable after only knowing him for a week? No, it's not that, it's him. Zoro, he, makes me want to believe him.,_ , she thought, sinking down against the solid wood of the door she had firmly closed behind her, separating her and the green-haired swordsman's room. _No, I do believe him. I need to talk to Nami._


	4. Trust and a Final Decision

" _He wanted me to play with him.", said the redhead with a laugh, almost in disbelief._

" _Play with him.", she repeated._

" _Yeah. We wandered all around the castle and laid out in this tangerine tree grove, it looked just like the one from Cocoyashi, Robin. Then, he introduced me to a bunch of weird guys that work here that he's apparently really good friends with."_

" _Sounds like things are going well."_

" _Yeah, I guess they are. He's not what I expected at all.", added the brown-eyed, a gentle smile gracing her lips._

" _I understand the feeling.", she admitted._

" _So things are better than you thought with Prince Leave-Me-Alone?"_

" _Fufufu, so you've had a run-in with Zoro have you?"_

" _Not exactly, just get that vibe from what Luffy's told me about him. Seems he's been spending all of his time either with you or training with swords. Luffy wanted me to meet him but the jerk said he was too busy and would have way too much time to be around me after the wedding anyway. Can you believe he said that? The guy hasn't even met me yet.", huffed Nami, crossing her arms in front of her chest indignantly._

" _He's not very fond of meeting new people I'm afraid, and his ambitions keep him training for hours on end."_

" _Yeah, well, at least he seems to like you, right? Luffy said that during their sparring, you're the only thing he talks about nowadays."_

" _That's not surprising if what you said about how's he's been spending his days is true and yes, we get along fine."_

" _So you're happy with him too?", asked the redhead._

Robin flipped over on her bed for the umpteenth time, her icy blue eyes staring blankly at the door separating her and the swordsman's rooms. She had told him during their evening meal that she was feeling tired and was heading to bed after a quick shower; an excuse that was hard to play along with considering it was scarcely past nine. She had a hard enough time falling into a fitful slumber in the early morning hours when her body, exhausted, started rebelling against her mind that knew all too well what nightmares awaited her in the hell of her unconscious mind if she dared to let herself drift off. Trying to force herself to rest this early was nearly impossible; trying to do it with her mind still replaying the last days of her life as she contemplated her and Nami's earlier conversation, even more so.

 _I told him that my mind wouldn't change about this arrangement of ours, or about him.,_ thought the archaeologist, smiling to herself as she remembered the day she had first been introduced to her future husband. _What a fool I've been. I didn't think I would fall prey to the likes of such a simple man, nine years my junior no less, so easily.,_ she thought, chuckling to herself as she sat up, swinging her legs gracefully over the mattress's edge. _That's what's made me so sure of him though. I've never met anyone so sure of themselves, so honest. Zoro. There really isn't an adequate way to describe you, is there? I've read countless books and now, not a single word comes to mind that seems to do you justice when I consider you._

Robin stepped across the lush carpet to the heavy wooden door, her hand firmly grasping the handle as she steeled her resolve one last time. _I was wrong. My life, it can be different. The future that Mother and the other scholars believed in,my future, it can include him. I can live, I can choose Zoro._ She turned the handle.

"Ow, Woman! What the heck are you doing?", asked Zoro irritably, rubbing his head that she had just caused the wooden door to collide with. "A little warning next time."

"I didn't think you would be laying on the floor, in front of a door of all places.", countered the raven-haired woman, stepping into the spacious room and crouching beside him. "Do you have a gushing wound or perhaps loss of vision from blood covering your brain at the moment?", she asked, gently probing the back of his scalp for injuries.

"You really are morbid, Robin.", he laughed, sitting up so that his face was even with her own. "What do you need anyway, it's not like you to come waltzing in here without a reason?" Zoro stared at the older woman curiously as her cerulean eyes watched him, her hands carefully running through his hair before moving to cup his cheeks. "Robin?", he repeated, more sternly this time, snapping her out of her trance. He watched her rise to her feet, taking several steps away from him, her back noticeably tense as she faced away from him.

"Zoro, do you still intend on me becoming your wife?"

"A man never goes back on his word, Robin. I meant everything I've told you so far.", answered the green-haired prince with a smirk, rising to his feet as she turned to face him.

"No secrets, right?", asked Robin seriously, her hands firmly gripping the sash that held her robe closed as she waited for his answer.

"Yeah, I have nothing to keep from you, Robin. I've shown you everything I am.", answered the prince.

"Alright then.", she said, taking a deep breath as she ran over the consequences of her decision one last time. She tugged the silky belt out of it's knot, letting the robe slipped from her shoulders, revealing her nude body to the young man as he marveled at her. "My turn.", she said, blushing as he stepped closer to her, letting his calloused fingers brush her side.

"Robin, I", he started before the click of his door made him pause. He quickly pulled the raven-haired woman against his chest, his broad arms doing their best to cover her backside as she instinctively wrapped her slender ones around his neck.

"Zoro, have you seen Kumasy anywhere? I don't know where I left hi-", started Perona as she floated through his doorway. The ghost girl froze that the sight in front of her, stuttering momentarily before her brother's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Could you get out, Brat. I'm a little busy.", said Zoro, smirking at the historian who's burning face was pressed against his cheek as he spoke.

"Why the heck is she naked?", yelled the ghost princess as her eyes scanned the older woman's body before meeting the swordsman's eye once again.

"Robin want's some quality time together and you're ruining it with your stupid face. Leave.", he said calmly, moving one of his hands up to pet the blue-eyed woman's hair as he held her.

"You, you, big meanie! Fine, have fun with your 'wife' or whatever the heck you're doing, see if I care!", yelled the girl, before slamming his door closed and angrily running away.

"Sorry about that, she's always been bad about coming into my room without knocking first.", apologized the young man.

"That wasn't exactly how I imagined meeting my sister-in-law."

"It could have been worse."

"How so?"

"We could have both been..."

"You're being a little presumptuous aren't you? I only did this so that we would be on equal footing after that stunt you pulled the other day. I don't recall offering anything beyond sharing my past with you, Zoro-kun.", said Robin sultrily, pulling back to meet the young man's gaze and giving him a playful smirk.

"And you're being a little overconfident for someone so exposed, don't you think?", he asked, sliding his fingers over her sides and back before grasping her hips and lifting her into the air. Robin wrapped her legs around the prince's waist as he carried her to his bed, laying her down on her back before tossing the forest green sheet over her and climbing in beside her. "So start talking.", he said, tugging a pillow under his head as he faced her, his arms wrapping around her over the blanket, pulling her against his chest.

"What?"

"You're past, go ahead and start.", urged Zoro.

"You mean you don't..."

"I was just screwing with you since you feel the need to test me so often.", said the swordsman with an eye roll. "This is more than enough.", he added, his hand moving to her cheek, tenderly caressing the pink-stained flesh. She smiled as he tilted his face up, feeling the surprising softness of his lips as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Was that alright?", he asked.

Pulling her arms out from under the covers, she wrapped them around his neck, smiling as she marveled at the man in her arms. He had every reason to be less than human, to show the world the darkness that she had witnessed as a child and had let consume her as her resolve waned a little year after year. Other in his position certainly had; he hadn't though. Now, with her completely vulnerable and open to him, he was still the man he had promised her he would be, he was still Roronoa Zoro. "You're human.", she whispered breathlessly. She brushed her lips against his slowly as his eye drifted shut before pressing firmly against them in a warm kiss.

"Is there some other meaning to that that I'm missing?", asked the swordsman curiously when he felt her lips leave his.

"Fufufu, just an answer I finally found is all.", she laughed.

"Are you happy with it?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'm happy with mine as well.", he added, pecking her lips once more as he rested his forehead against her own. "Tell me about your home.", he said quietly, almost as if requesting permission for such delicate information then instructing her to follow up on her promise.

"It's alright, Zoro, I have nothing to keep from you anymore."

"What changed your mind so suddenly?"

" _Fine, marry me and after I've defeated Mihawk and it's been a few years so you can avoid suspicion, kill me in my sleep and change this world if you still think it's so terrible." "...I'm not gonna leave you, Robin. I meant that." "Hehe, you finally called me, Zoro." No secrets, remember?" "...this is already yours."_ "You were right?"

"Huh?", asked the man, confused.

"You made me trust you.", she said simply.

A/N: Okay, one more chapter to go! Hope you guys liked this chapter with all some nice Zorobin. Robin finally broke and gave our swordsman a chance. Thanks to everyone that has been faithfully reviewing this fic, I'm glad to hear you are all enjoying it so much. To **BloodyME** , you're welcome, and don't worry, I'm just happy to hear that you're loving my take on you request. :) Getting to hear that I made my readers happy makes fulfilling requests that much more enjoyable, so thank you. :)


	5. Together

"Waah! Oh no!"

"Hmm, that's seems odd that someone would come to my room at this hour.", said Robin, shifting her head against Zoro's chest as a yawn escaped her lips.

"That sounds like Chopper, what's he doing up so early?", wondered the swordsman sleepily, stretching his arms above his head before tilting his face down to nuzzle the woman's silky hair.

"The castle's doctor, correct? You mentioned that he was a devil fruit user like myself if I recall.", she asked, her hand lazily drawing circles on his stomach.

"Yeah, a Zoan type though. I should probably go see what he's freaking out about, might be serious.", groaned the swordsman, reluctantly slipping out from under her and swinging his legs off the bed. He pulled his arms across his chest one at a time, realizing how stiff they had become due to the lack of movement the last couple hours had allowed him. He had laid silently with the older woman in his arms as she recounted her past to him, from watching her beloved home burn, to being on the run and joining various criminals as she searched for Poneglyphs including a rather large syndicate known as Baroque Works. Ironically, back before he had found Mihawk and been taken in by the swordsman after their dual, he had been approached about joining that particular group. He had agreed if they promised to make him their boss, thinking it would get him closer to his goal, or at least provided some entertaining opponents to test his skills against. Things had ended with his blade slicing through the poor fool that had had the audacity to turn him down and attack from the front however; idiot. Next, he heard about her run-in with Nami and the group of girls she had lived with for the last couple years and how she spend everyday to bring her dream a little closer, just like him, he had thought..

Zoro made his way across his bedroom towards the door that connected his to his future wife's, picking up her discarded robe on the way and tossing it to her. "You should probably put that back on.", he said, his cheeks pinking slightly as he saw the sheet slip from over her body as she sat up, reaching for the silk garment. He allowed himself a second of pleasure watching the archaeologist's lithe movements as she rose from the bed, slipping her arms into her robe, covering all of her delicious pale skin with a neat tight of the sash.

"I thought you were checking on Doctor-san, Zoro-kun, or is your mind elsewhere now?", asked the raven-haired woman seductively as she approached, her hips swaying suggestively as she closed in.

"Tch, I was just waiting for you to be decent before I opened the door, Woman.", he said angrily, feeling his cheeks heat once again, even more so when he felt her long fingers slide over his cheek. He smiled though when she stepped closer, pushing him against the wooden door while covering his mouth with her own.

"Zoro, it's terrible! Something happens to Robin, she's not in her room!", yelled the frantic reindeer, swinging the door adjoining to the young prince's open in panic.

 _Crap!,_ thought Zoro frantically as he felt the structure he had been leaning against disappear behind him, wrapping his arms around Robin and bracing himself for the inevitable impact with the cold stone floor.

"Seis Fluer.", he heard, sighing in relief as six arms pushed into his back unexpectedly, keeping him from crushing the tiny reindeer beneath him.

"It seems I have rather poor luck when it comes to making first impression with your friends, Zoro-kun.", noted Robin, using her phantom limbs to push them back into a standing position. Stepping out of his embrace, she dropped to her knees to be closer to the now traumatized reindeer's height. "I apologize for making you worry Doctor Chopper. I came in here last night to talk with Zoro and it seems we fell asleep.", apologized the blue-eyed woman sincerely.

Chopper sputtered at the archaeologist's words, scurrying out of the room to hide a portion of his face behind the door frame.

"You're doing it backwards again, Chopper.", said the green-haired prince with a smirk. Seeing the younger boy's hesitation, he sat down next to his fiance, placing a hand on her back comfortingly. "I told Robin that you're the best doctor in the world even with only being seventeen and a blue-nosed reindeer.", encouraged the swordsman. "I think you'd lik-"

"Shut up, you jerk!", shouted the tiny doctor. "Don't think that calling me the world's best doctor makes me happy or anything, Craphead!"

"Robin's an archaeologist so she studies history and reads about all these ancient civilizations, I bet you two would have a lot to talk about since you've been researching a bunch of old-timey medical practices.", Zoro continued calmly.

"I'd be interested to hear about what you've gathered from your research Doctor Chopper. Zoro-kun and Nami-san have told me a bit about you, and I must say they neglected to mention how cute you are.", added Robin with a gentle smile.

"C-cute?", repeated Chopper, his furry cheeks blushing before he broke into his noodle dance. "T-that doesn't make me happy, Witch.", he said, wiggling back and forth. "Or calling me doctor and wanting to hear about my research, Scumbag.", added the young man.

"Perhaps, you could tell me about it over breakfast, Doctor."

"T-that sounds okay, but it's almost lunch.", agreed the reindeer, stepping closer to the pair. "Sanji said he was gonna bring you guys some food after you woke up since neither of you guys came to breakfast or requested food in your rooms."

"Hehe, guess that makes sense considering how long we were up talking.", laughed Zoro. "I could go for a couple more hours of sleep before having to deal with Swirly Brow's stupid crap though."

As if on cue a yawn escaped Robin's lips, showing her fatigue from telling her past to the prince into what she now assumed must have been the early morning hours. "I'm afraid I'm still a but tired as well."

"Hmm, Sanji won't be happy about you guys missing two meals in a day, but sleep is just as important for a healthy body and stable brain activity. I'll tell him to cook something extra nutritious for you guys when you're good and rested and I'll make sure no one bothers either of you so you can sleep soundly.", assured the doctor.

"Thanks, Chopper."

"Yes, thank you, Doctor.", added Robin.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later. Come by my office after you've rested and eaten today, Robin.", he added as he walked to the door.

"Oh, right. Why were you looking for her in the first place?", asked the other man curiously. "Your scream is what woke us up in the first place.

"I thought it would be a good idea to give Robin and Nami a thorough check-up since they hadn't had one in years just as a precaution. I just finished Nami's a little while ago and came to see if Robin was ready for hers, but you guys get some sleep, it can wait until later."

"I'll be sure to come straight to your office later, Doctor Chopper."

"Calling me Doctor doesn't make me happy, Idiot.", claimed the reindeer as he danced out the doorway, closing the door behind him and leaving the couple to their rest.

"I like him."

"I thought you would."

"He's an odd little fellow, and rather naive it seems considering he thought nothing of the fact that I ended up on top of you when he opened the door nor questioned us about my claim of simply falling asleep in here. He seems like a sweet boy however.", mused Robin as she rose to her feet, making her way back to Zoro's bed and climbing into it.

"He is.", said Zoro, following her lead and snuggling up against her as they found a comfortable position. He ended up with his face pressed against her neck and an arm under her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "He had a hard life up until Luffy found him and brought him here. You see he actually started out as a reindeer and ate the Human-Human fruit, so his pack or herd or whatever that had already basically abandoned him because of his blue nose, attacked him and left him for dead when he was just a kid. The villagers on his island called him a monster when they saw him too. He didn't have anywhere to belong, with animals or with humans, he was completely alone in the world until a doctor adopted him."

"Is that how he became a doctor himself, studying under his..."

"Chopper just calls him Doctor or Doctor Hiluluk, but you can tell he thinks of the guy as a father, or a highly respected and loved mentor. He was killed and his friend, this crazy old bag, Doctorine took Chopper in afterward and taught him everything he knows. She's probably one of the world's leading doctors, but nobody's heard of her since she never leaves that stupid castle.", explained the green-haired prince, his eye drooping shut.

"Tell me, what island is Chopper from exactly?", asked Robin.

"It used to be called Drum Island, but after Luffy and me helped them put a new king in power, they changed the name to Sakura Kingdom."

"I thought as much. I've heard stories of a rather eccentric woman who treats the islanders, extorting them for supplies and rarely coming down from her mountain-top castle, but with a medical know-how few can rival. She's said to have a reindeer assistant, I assume that was Chopper before he came here.", said Robin.

"Wow, you really do have a lot of knowledge about stuff."

"It's been my reason for surviving for so long, gaining new information is all part of ensuring my dream becomes a reality.", she said quietly.

"Well now you have me, and I promise you that you'll find the Rio Poneglyph that you've been looking for and discover the true history. I'll do everything I can to help.", said Zoro, pressing a gentle kiss to the sensitive skin of her neck. "And...", he started, trailing his lips up to her cheek and the corner of her mouth.

"And?"

"After you've reached your dream, I'll still be here to be your reason to live.", he said, kissing her fully on the lips.

"Fufufu, you already are, Zoro-kun. I want to see you defeat Mihawk and be by your side as you and Luffy lead this country, that's a wife's duty after all."

"Sounds like a pretty good life to me, but before all that we should probably get some sleep."

"Oh, I meant to ask you, Zoro-kun. Why were you sleeping on the floor last night before I came in here?", asked the raven-haired woman tiredly.

"It's hard to hear you from my bed, so I slept on the floor.", he yawned.

"Why would you need to hear me?"

"To make sure you didn't have anymore nightmares, what else?"

"So you've done that every night since you found me that day."

"Well, yeah.", said Zoro as if it were the obvious response. "I couldn't just let you suffer through those by yourself, and you didn't trust me yet so I just decided to stay close in case you needed me. That's my job after all, to protect you, no matter what the enemy is.", he said confidently, staring straight into her widened cerulean eyes before tucking his head back under her chin. "This works out way better though with us sharing a bed, much easier to fall asleep since I can feel or hear immediately if you start having one."

"Sleep well, Zoro-kun.", she whispered, kissing his forehead gently as his face pressed against her chest. _You silly man, only you would go to such lengths and not find it out of the ordinary._

He grunted in response, letting his exhaustion take over and lull him into the beginnings of sleep. "It'll be nice after the wedding when we have our own room and can do this whenever we want."

"Yes, it will. Just a little while longer, Zoro-kun.", agreed the blue-eyed woman.

"Just a little bit longer.

 _Epilogue: Two Weeks Later_

"Get off Love Cook.", whispered the swordsman harshly as the blond continued fiddling with his tie.

"It's not my fault you're still an uncultured swine and can't tie your own tie.", shot back Sanji. "There, now at least your tux looks good enough to be marrying Robin-chwan."

"Shut the heck up, Pervert. You're just jealous that I'm getting married before you and that Robin's way better than anyone you'll find.", said Zoro cockily.

"If we weren't waiting for your wedding ceremony to start I'd kick your teeth in, Moss Ball.", bit out the cook. "I can't believe Robin-chwan and Nami-swan are gonna be married to idiots like you and Luffy after today.

"Shishishi, don't worry, Sanji, we'll still all be friends. Nami said we just get our own room now and get to do neat married people stuff that she'd show me later.", cut in the black-haired prince.

"What's taking them so long?", asked Usopp nervously, cutting off the chef's pitiful sobbing. "Nami yells at all of us to be ready on time and she's the one running late, and it's her wedding."

"Oi, speak of the devil. Looks like the super princesses are here.", answered Franky, pointing to the door into the throne room.

"Roronoa, are you prepared?", asked Mihawk from behind the group of men.

"Yeah, just hurry up with the ceremony part so that Robin and I can be married already.", huffed Zoro.

"Coming from the boy that ran off more woman than I can count.", mocked the older swordsman.

"They weren't the right ones, Robin is.", said Zoro sternly, watching as the raven-haired beauty made her way down the aisle towards him. Her dress was simply, strapless with a lacy flower design running over the torso before fanning out from her waist to her ankles. He had to hand it to Perona as well, who had styled the archaeologist's hair in an elegant bun with strands framing her face. Perfect for the crown the she would be presented with after their vows.

"She looks lovely, as does Straw Hat's betrothed.", noted Mihawk. Zoro ignored him though, choosing to keep his focus trained on Robin as she reached him, sliding and arm around her waist as they turned to face Luffy and Nami, the minister taking his place to their right. "I proud of you, Son.", whispered the hawk-eyed man before moving to the side and joining the ghost princess and other men gathered to witness the ceremony.

Zoro tried to make eye contact with him, but the man refused to look at him, confusing the groom even more. _Crazy old man, saying that at a time like this._

"Are you alright, Zoro-kun?", asked Robin quietly, leaning in so only he would here.

"Yeah, just fine.", he answered, smiling up at her. _I'll think about it later, that's not what's important now._ "Now let's get married.", he said , kissing her cheek as the wrinkly old guy that would be wedded both them and the Monkey couple began the beginning of the marriage ceremony speech. "You still sure this is what you want, last chance before you're stuck with me forever?", whispered the green-haired man.

"You shouldn't make jokes like that on our wedding day, Zoro-kun.", lectured Robin. "Or course I'm still sure about you, silly man."

"Just making sure."

"I love you."

"I know.", he whispered back with a smile, the sounds around him fading as he honed in on Robin's steady breathing and the quiet violin strumming Brook was doing from the side, replaying her words in his mind as he waited for it to be official, for them to agree to their vows and be married.

A/N: Alright, that's it. I know this is two days late, but I hope you enjoy this last chapter of _Arrangement Only,_ **BloodyME** who requested an arranged marriage fic. Thank you to **Guest, eLf, Waad1999, Zorin is ZoroxRobin, Someone, megaME, DjGinsu13, Antonio Gomez, Random Person, Vakom Sunrunner, Mr. Suave93, R.N. Zuzu, BloodyME, Mugiwara-girl81096, and Mr. Anon** for such sweet reviews. I think this story has gotten the most positive feedback of any of my stories so thank you all for the encouraging words. ) I hope you have all enjoyed this story and the ending.


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